Board game apparatus

ABSTRACT

A board game includes a board divided into a multiplicity of contiguous equally sized equilateral triangles, and a plurality of playing members associated therewith, the ratio of playing members to triangles being 12 to 54, there being two visually distinguishable sets of such members. Each playing member is of four-sided configuration, each side defining a triangle congruent with each board triangle. The movement of each member takes place by rotating that piece about a board triangle leg until the piece is seated on a board triangle contiguous with the first-mentioned board triangle.

United States Patent 1 Ameri 1 1 June 3,1975

1 1 BOARD GAME APPARATUS [76] Inventor: Victor B. Ameri, 33 Elm Ave., Mill Valley, Calif. 94941 22 Filed: July 26,1973

[21] Appl. No.: 382,739

[52} US. Cl 273/131 L; 273/131 KN [51] Int. Cl. A631 3/00 [58] Field of Search 273/131, 132, 134, 135, 273/136, 137

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 287,352 10/1883 Ward 273/132 3,608,902 9/1971 Weisbecker 273/134 AD 3,706,456 12/1972 Sesti et a1 273/135 AC FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS United Kingdom 273/130 R 3,927 1892 United Kingdom 273/136 E Primary Examiner-Delbert B. Lowe Attorney, Agent, or FirmPhillips, Moore, Weissenberger Lempio & Strabala [57] ABSTRACT A board game includes a board divided into a multiplicity of contiguous equally sized equilateral triangles, and a plurality of playing members associated therewith, the ratio of playing members to triangles being 12 to 54, there being two visually distinguishable sets of such members. Each playing member is of four-sided configuration, each side defining a triangle congruent with each board triangle. The movement of each member takes place by rotating that piece about a board triangle leg until the piece is seated on a board triangle contiguous with the first-mentioned board triangle,

1 Claim, 6 Drawing Figures BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a board game, and more par ticularly, to a game played on a board defining a plurality of triangles, and played with a plurality of pieces having triangular sides.

The object of the present invention is a board game that may be played by two players competing against each other. Competitive games of this type include games such as checkers or chess, wherein the playing members have set or defined moves over a game board. The skill and strategy involved in positioning the playing pieces, wherein they are of course moved within the limitations of the game, are of prime importance.

Of general interest in this area are U.S. Pat. No. 722,668 to Bennett, U.S. Pat. No. 943,435 to Marris, U.S. Pat. No. 3,048,404 to Tebbs, U.S. Pat. No. 3,608,902 to Weisbecker, U.S. Pat. No. 3,608,906 to Odier, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,638,947 to Hardesty.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of this invention to provide a game apparatus including a marked board and a plurality of playing members associated therewith.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a game apparatus which, while fulfilling the above object, includes playing members each of which has four sides of triangular configuration, and a playing board wherein the markings define a plurality of triangles thereon.

Broadly stated, the invention herein comprises a game apparatus comprising a board having markings thereon defining a plurality of equilateral congruent board triangles, each being contiguous on at least one side with another board triangle. Further included are a plurality of four-sided playing members, each side of each playing member defining an equilateral triangle congruent with the triangle defined by each other side of that member, and congruent with the triangle defined by each side of each other playing member, and congruent with each of the plurality of board triangles, each member having a triangular side positioned on a board triangle to cover and conform to that board triangle. Each member is movable by rotation of that member generally about one leg of a board triangle on which that member is positioned, that leg being common to that board triangle and an unoccupied board triangle contiguous therewith, until another triangular side of the member is seated on the contiguous board triangle to cover and conform to that contiguous board triangle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from a study of the following specification and drawings, in which:

FIG. I is a plan view of the board of the game apparatus;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a playing member of the game apparatus;

FIG. 3 is an overall perspective view of the board and playing members, showing the situation of the playing members at the beginning of the game;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to that of FIG. 3, but showing the playing members in a position completing the game; and

FIGS. 5 and 6 are perspective views of a portion of the board and a playing member, illustrating the movement of the playing member on the board.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Shown in FIG. I is the preferred embodiment ofplaying board 10 of the game apparatus. The board 10 is marked with a plurality oflines, so as to define a plurality of equilateral, congruent board triangles 12. The overall configuration of these markings is hexagonal, having six corners l4,l6,18,20,22,24. Each of the external triangles of the board 10 is contiguous on two sides with other board triangles, and each internal board triangle (i.e., not having a leg defining part of the overall hexagon), is contiguous on all three sides with other board triangles. In the present embodiment, there are 54 board triangles l2. Twelve playing members, one of which is shown at 26 in FIG. 2, are included as part of the game apparatus. The playing member 26 has four sides 28,30,32,34, each side defining an equilateral triangle congruent with the triangle defined by each other side thereof. It will be understood that each of the remaining playing members is shaped in the same manner, so that the triangle defined by each side of the member 26 is congruent with the triangle defined by each side of each other member. In addition, the triangle defined by each side of each playing member is congruent with each of the board triangles 12.

In the use of the game apparatus 36 (FIG. 3), six of the playing members are of white color, and six are black, so as to be distinguishable. That is, pieces 26,38,40,42,44,46 are colored white, and are manipulated by one player, while pieces 48,50,52,54,56,58 are black and are manipulated by his opponent.

In starting the game, pairs of members, one black and one white, are positioned in the board corners 14,16,18, 20,22,24, respectively, shown. One triangular side of each member covers and conforms to a board triangle 12. The player manipulating the white members moves first, and may move one white member in the manner shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. That is, the member 26, shown as an example, is movable by rotation thereof generally about one leg of a board triangle 12 on which that member 26 is positioned, that leg being common to that board triangle and an unoccupied board triangle 12 contiguous therewith. The member 26 is rotated until another triangular side thereof (in this case side 28) is seated on the contiguous board triangle 12, to cover and conform to that contiguous board triangle 12. Or. playing member 26 can be considered to be movable by rotation of that member 26 generally about one leg of the triangle defined by the side of the member positioned on the playing surface of the board 10 into an unoccupied area of the board 10, until another triangular side is seated on the playing surface of the board 10. Black may now move a piece in a similar manner. The moves continue until the object of the game is realized, which is that stage wherein one of the players has achieved with his playing members the winning position shown in FIG. 4, wherein his six playing members occupy six board triangles 12 defining a hexagonal area as shown.

The players alternate moves after the opening move, except that whenever a side of a member of one set of playing members is parallel to and in the same plane as a side of another member of that set (excluding the horizontal, or board. plane), the player using that set is allowed another move. This is true even though an opponents playing member may be between the two playing members depended upon. it will be seen that, if a playing member is surrounded on three sides by other playing members, it is in an immovable state. Thus, it is possible to block your opponent from moving the surrounded piece.

It will therefore be understood that in accordance with the above moves, strategic planning and tactics are necessary to achieve the state of having the six pieces of one set positioned together and covering a hexagonal area formed by six board triangles as shown in FIG. 4.

What is claimed is:

1. A game apparatus comprising:

a board having markings thereon defining a plurality of fifty four equilateral congruent board triangles, each being contiguous on at least two sides with other board triangles; said plurality of triangles defining a hexagonal configuration, and

a plurality of four-sided playing members, each side of each playing member defining an equilateral triangle congruent with the triangle defined by each other side of that playing member, and congruent with the triangle defined by each side of each other playing member, and congruent with each of the plurality of board triangles, each playing member having a triangular side positioned on a board triangle to cover and conform to said triangle, each playing member being movable by rotation of that playing member generally about one leg of the triangle defined by the side of the playing member positioned on the playing surface into an unoccupied area of the playing surface, until another triangular side of the playing member is seated on the playing surface and wherein there are twelve playing members, six thereof being distinguishable from the remaining six, whereby the ratio of playing members to board triangles is 12 to 54. 

1. A game apparatus comprising: a board having markings thereon defining a plurality of fifty four equilateral congruent board triangles, each being contiguous on at least two sides with other board triangles; said plurality of triangles defining a hexagonal configuration, and a plurality of four-sided playing members, each side of each playing member defining an equilateral triangle congruent with the triangle defined by each other side of that playing member, and congruent with the triangle defined by each side of each other playing member, and congruent with each of the plurality of board triangles, each playing member having a triangular side positioned on a board triangle to cover and conform to said triangle, each playing member being movable by rotation of that playing member generally about one leg of the triangle defined by the side of the playing member positioned on the playing surface into an unoccupied area of the playing surface, until another triangular side of the playing member is seated on the playing surface and wherein there are twelve playing members, six thereof being distinguishable from the remaining six, whereby the ratio of playing members to board triangles is 12 to
 54. 